Serious damage has been done to an important Iron Age fort on the Dingle peninsula.

Much of the western wall of the dramatically perched cliff stone structure at Dúnbeg fell into the sea in recent days and the site has been closed from the roadway at Slea Head.

Personnel from the National Monuments Service are on their way to inspect the site, but it is thought little can be done to save the promontory fort which is both a national monument and a tourist attraction.

“There has been very serious storm damage and a large part of the western limits of the site has fallen in to the sea. The immediate priority is to ensure public safety and the site is now fully closed off from the upper roadway,” a spokesman said.

“The site is being inspected by OPW and National Monuments Service personnel to assess the situation on the ground. However, the scale of the recent damage, coupled with the nature and location of the site, would suggest that may be very little that can usefully be done.”

Archaeologist Isabel Bennett, curator of the local museum, said nothing could have been done in advance by the State to preserve the monument. Collapse was always a possibility, but Ms Bennett said she hoped that a structure could be put in place to safely overlook the remains.